The City of Leo
by PopitLockitWriteit
Summary: An original series, taking place in the galaxy Zonos. Zonos is the only galaxy in this universe that separates their animal species' with planets, ranging from felines and avians to reptilian creatures and even some hybrid animals involved. After the tragedies that take place and the rifts torn between other worlds and dimensions, Leo must find a way to repair his tragic past. NOW.
1. Chapter 1: Lonely Alisha

Leo paced the stone floor of his home, his eyes glared down at his feet as they were put down, one after another. His paws were clenched into tight fists, and the setting sun reflected bright yellow light into the room that sparked off his sharp claws. His silver fur glowed yellow with the light, and it highlighted the bright brown around his muzzle. His crown almost fell off several times, but eventually it dug into his dark brown mane. He paused for a moment, and then gave a harsh blue glare to his dear sister, Savannah.

Savannah was a small brown lion, with golden paws and a white muzzle. Her eyes were bright blue like Leo's and she had short white hair that fell in waves down her shoulders. She was standing up, her claws digging into the wood and the green cloth of their table as she read a few books on healing and battle. She was wearing a pale magenta dress with a purple waistband and light pink rolls at the bottom of the skirt. The same rolls were underneath her short sleeves, which had been shaped into small spheres over her shoulders, but they were being held down by her heavy hair. She had also put on a silver chain necklace with a golden key hanging down from the front of it.

In comparison to Leo, she almost looked beautiful. Leo then shook his head, snapping out of his thoughts. He liked how he looked. He was king of his city. He didn't care how he looked as long as he kept his crown on his head. All he was wearing at the moment was his dark blue crown, with a golden ring surrounding a dark purple gem, which was known as a Zygihard. The same gem was made into a pendant on the front of his light blue cape. At the edge of the cape, it had white fluff, which was also around his neck. Underneath that, he wore a light green tank top with black pants, despite the warm weather. He refused to wear shoes, so his feet were always sore and the pads were always red over black with bruises. His tank top was torn down by the waist, but not directly at it, and some places were torn underneath his chest. He had some of those same tears on his pants at the knees, and some at the ankles.

Savannah suddenly slammed her books shut, which ripped her claws free from the table, and sent small splinters flying to the ground. She pulled a chair over with her long tail and sat down, her eyes covered by her paws.

Leo's ears lowered in concern. "Savannah?" His deep voice echoed across the room to her. Savannah split her paw so she could see Leo, and then she lowered them, turning her head to him.

"Yes, Brother?" Savannah's voice was soft, but it was still a little high for her age. Her voice almost carried a song with every word she spoke. All the world grew silent when she was speaking,

"You've had your nose buried in those books since Alisha joined the stars. What are you trying to accomplish by following in her footsteps?" Leo's voice was harsh, but it had a slight touch of care within it. Savannah must've known, or she would've began throwing a fit when he finished.

The lioness, however, only sighed and looked back at the cover of one. "Mom was a great healer, she knew a lot and had many books on what she knew." Her claw drew an invisible circle over the cover of the book, which had a picture of Alisha on it. It was only a headshot, though. Alisha had bright brown eyes and dark amber hair. Her fur was golden brown and her nose was perfectly black. Black lines stretched from the sides of her eyes around her muzzle, which was cream colored. Her hair was covering her left eye.

"I want to be like her," Tears dripped down Savannah's now darkened face. "I want to follow in her footsteps to be something just as graceful and perfect." Savannah froze for a moment, losing herself in thought. "...I don't want to be alone like she was."

Leo felt his heart breaking, and his paws clenched tighter together. He swore he felt his claws touching his skin through fur. "...Savannah." He sighed. "I never knew you felt like that." His eyes became shadowed out as he padded to the door past the table Savannah was sitting at. "If you really don't appreciate me, then I can just leave. If you feel so alone with me being right here, then I really have no purpose."

Savannah flattened her ears. She got up and ran over to him, tears falling faster down her cheeks. "Leo, no, that's not what I meant!"

Leo snapped at her. "Don't tell me that, you liar!" Savannah stopped in fear. "You've done nothing but lie to me this entire time. You said you loved your brother, you said he was the only thing you ever wanted in life, and now you think I'm nothing because Alisha is gone."

Savannah stepped back, her eyes becoming sore from crying. Her voice was nothing but an inaudible whisper, that not even Leo's sharp ears could hear. It was as if she made no sound at all. Leo's tail snapped behind him, though he didn't realize he hit Savannah, then he turned to the door, throwing it open. He paused and glanced over his shoulder at Savannah, who had a pink spot of wear fur used to be on her face. He mumbled, almost to himself. "Thanks for trying to care." Then he slammed the door in her face, and began to walk away from the house in tears. He stopped a few pawsteps away from the house and turned back, almost rethinking his decision.

He narrowed his eyes, growling at the open window. "I never cared either," He mumbled. He then turned with a snap of his tail and began racing away on all fours. His claws ripped out grass on the way, but he didn't care. He just wanted to get away from her, no matter the pain it gave him.


	2. Chapter 2: Lost leo

Leo's footsteps echoed on the stone pathway. His tail was dragging behind him as it normally did, but it now had a string of sadness dragging it down with his confidence. He was all alone. He had nowhere to go. He couldn't go back to Savannah. He didn't trust her anymore, and he couldn't bear to live with her ever again. He didn't understand this... 'pain.' He had never felt it before. He almost wished he could go back; redo what _he_ had done. He stopped walking and looked back. The house could still be seen off in the distance, a small speck of blue against the silver sky dotted with stars.

Leo uttered a small snarl as he caught a spot of Savannah's brown fur tangled in the fluff at the bottom of his cape. He ripped it away with his sharp claws, pulling some fluff out as well. He dug a small hole in the ground next to the pathway and buried the fur with the fluff. He patted the ground back down and threw grass over it to hide the evidence. He didn't realize a jade stone was missing where he ripped out the fluff. He snapped back around to look forward, and his icy blue eyes stared up at the silver clouds piling up in the sky, trying to block out the golden sunset in the distance before him.

The city was behind him. His home was on the edge on top of a hill. He heard footsteps and familiar scents hiding behind him, but he did not turn back again. He looked up for a moment and lifted the crown off his head. It was small, like a tiara, with three spikes sticking out in the front; the second being the largest, as it was in the middle. A dark blue gemstone sparkled on the front, which shined bright blue as his reflection. Two small moons were carved out of ruby and put facing opposite sides on the left and right of the diamond-shaped sapphire. He sighed and clipped the gemstone of his neck apart. His cape dropped to the ground behind him.

Leo turned to it his eyes dulling as he looked at the heep of royalty on the ground. He set his crown carefully on top. He ripped some grass out of the ground, but it was unnoticeable from a distance. He scattered the grass around on the royal attire, and even threw some dirt onto the gemstones.

His ears flicked back as he shut his eyes. A tear fell on the cape as he began to say the words of a long forgotten speech; written only for those who wanted to leave their royalty behind. Only some words were altered, to fit the person's name and city. "May I ask the stars above to guide me to another home. I can not stay in the City of Leo. In this lion kingdom, it has my name, but I can no longer take this pain. I leave my home, I'm all alone. In the shadows of this world, I now dwell. To my name of Leo, I say farewell." He turned away from the pile, kicking it without looking where anything fell, and he raced away. He wondered if Savannah would find the pile, and see the fading colors.

"Because of the chant, my kingdom is being left behind. Those I know and love, my family, my dear sister, and now the colors will fade of my royal attire. Savannah will take over for me, I hope." He spoke as he ran, but the words were barely audible. Only he knew what he was saying, and he would understood that if he had said anything of the sort to Savannah, that would follow him forever. His paws ached from running, his heart sore from the pain of leaving his home and family behind. He understood this was for the best, however, and he was going to make use of this. He had a new life ahead of him. He could get rid of the pain the kingdom had brought him, and he could get rid of his mane, even though it would grow back with age.

"That doesn't matter," Leo told himself. "I've taken care of myself before, and I won't hesitate to do it now. This is only the second time I've had to do this. Savannah knows. I hope she understands I did this for the better of the two of us."


	3. Chapter 3: The Priders

Leo ripped a large stone out of the ground. It was difficult to carry with his two paws, but his claws were so rough, they were like steel. They could cut through and carry anything. His pads were slipping on the stone, but his claws held a strong grip on it. Other lions were doing the same as him, but some of the cats came from different species. Leopard, domestic cat, tigers; all coming together to form a single, disastrous clan; the Priders.

The Priders were a small group of rebels, who rebelled against their homes and family. Cities were falling apart because of these leaders leaving their kingdoms behind. Leo's only home was the planet, not the cities that inhabited it. He smashed the rock into smaller stones in another pile before he climbed up the large Tallstone in the clearing. _This clan belongs to me now,_ he thought. _I have a right to stand here._

He let out a mighty roar, and all the workers stopped in their tracks to look up at him. A small domestic cat ran up to him. All the cats were dressed in the same attire as Leo, the tank tops were just different colors. This black kitten's tank top was baby blue. He handed a flag to Leo, who took it gratefully in his tail. The cat ran off, and Leo turned to the crowd.

"My dear clan," he began. "We have proven our strength great to those who dare look our way. The cities are crumbling to pieces as they persuade soldiers to follow in their tracks. They are liars, they deserve to be stopped. It is time we go to war." He took the flag from his tail without looking at it. "Our first city is my previous home." He lifted the flag high above his head. "Our first city must be destroyed! Onward, my friends, we must go to Leo, the city of lies!" The cats shouted as if in victory already, raising sharp staffs into the sky. One cat dared to step forward and look up to Leo.

"Before we go, we must know the identity of our fearless leader. Sir Lion, what might your name be?" Some other cats mumbled agreement.

Leo smirked, baring his sharp fangs to the crowd. "My name is Leonardo. You may call me King Leo." Some cats widened their eyes when they realized who Leo really was. He was the previous king of the city they were going to destroy. "To war, my friends!" Another shout rang out from the crowd and Leo began to lead the group away from the clearing. They held their flags high and their bows were strung over their shoulders, the quivers on their back. Leo carried a sharpened sword in his paw and his flag in the other. Some cats even had slingshots that they would fire rocks from; that was the reasoning behind the pile of rocks at camp was for ammo.

The domestic cat that handed Leo the flag padded up to him. "Do you think we'll defeat them?"

Leo lowered his head a little, but it wasn't enough to hang it. "I don't know. My sister has to be leading the city by now. It might be growing already of population." He gripped his sword tightly. "None of you are going to strike her down either. I will be the one to end her life." Leo looked down at the cat. "What is your name?"

"Sever," The cat said. "I have a large scar on my back that takes place of my name. I was almost severed into pieces by a war I took place in at my previous city. Do you have scars as well?"

Leo shook his head. "I don't get scars often. I partake in wars, but I rarely scar myself and foes. I can only kill." His paws clenched into tight fists at the thought.

"I assume it's because you're a lion?" Sever said.

"They act like my prey," Leo growled. "Pitiful."

Sever shut his eyes and nodded. "Very. As a domestic cat, I can easily relate to you. I am a wild cat, and as they call me, a stray. So I catch my own prey. I feed no others. I live on the fury and misery that blinds those that run rampant in the streets. Being a black cat, I bring the worst of luck." He purred at the thought. "It's a wonderful thing to create chaos for those you hate, is it not?"

Leo nodded, with a wide terrifying smile, showing sharp fangs. He stopped at the edge of the cliff by the city of Leo, staring down into the streets. Everything seemed so peaceful. He turned to his people, and they all took a step back so he could speak.

"My people!" He roared. "The time has come. War shall break between our clan and the city. You will not flee no matter how harmed you are, and we will not stop until you hear my roar that Savannah is dead." He let out a mighty roar, and lifted his sword into the sky. The roar could be heard all across the city, which made the lions of the kingdom poke their heads out the windows. Leo turned with a glare to the city. "ATTACK!" With a battle cry, the cats descended into the city off the cliff, and chaos broke out.


	4. Chapter 4: War

Everything was in flames. Streets were being destroyed from sinkholes that formed in the ground. Builds were collapsing and tumbling to the ground. Reality was losing its will; and the people of the city were losing it. But Savannah did not give up. She stared out her window at the city. She was 12 stories above the ground, so she could easily see the chaos. Her face was darkened out from the public eye. Her crown was already rusting above her head. Her cape was torn from the stress of becoming a queen of this falling city. She recognized none of these strange cats. Traffic was blocking their ways as they threw people around with their flag staffs and rolling them up in the cloth to throw them into fire.

Savannah turned away from the window and grabbed her sword. She looked at the side of the blade, seeing her determined reflection in the front of it. Her left eye had become hidden under darkness and her hair. She knew her brother had caused this torture. He started the pack. He lead them to her city. It was all his fault. But sympathy wore over her; it could only be seen through her eyes. She was a big part of why Leo was destroying their beloved kingdom. It was because she got so upset of her mother's death, saying she was lonely as she was, and that made Leo believe he was unwanted. Useless. Pitiful. It was everything Savannah dreaded she would have to hear and think of.

Savannah hadn't thought Leo was useless. She thought he was strong, handsome, everything he ever wanted to be. He was powerful as well; he was fantastic with words and thoughts. He kept his emotions tightly closed within him, and he rarely let those feelings escape. Happiness, fear, depression; anger was all that had ever driven him to be great. _What have I done?_ Savannah thought darkly. _I've created a monster out of my own kin._ She shut her eyes for a moment. But they snapped opened again soon. The white sclera of her eyes had become yellow out of corruption of anger.

Savannah and Leo only had one thought in both of their minds, and they knew it. _I'm not letting this happen again. Not this time. Not ever. I have to end what I started._

And the end was only beginning.

Minutes later, Leo and Savannah faced each other. Leo stood at least 50 feet away from her. A wide stretch of stone was cracked and battered before them. Their swords drawn to their sides. Savannah shut her eyes, and her cape fell to the ground behind her. She kicked it away. She pulled the straps on the back of her dress, and the skirt split in two, wrapping around both her legs to create what seemed like pants. She pulled her hair back into a ponytail. _I'm ready,_ she thought.

Leo whipped his tail behind him. His mane was longer than his shoulders by now. It wrapped around his head and fell down the middle of his face. He still had his flag with him; in a different manner. The bright red banner had been wrapped around his right arm, the one that held his sword. It almost looked like a cast, but it had white tape around his elbow that kept the flag from flying off. He had a spike collar around his neck, on his ankles and on his wrists. His claws were drawn and ready to fight. His ears flattened and fell into his mane, they were invisible to all other eyes. He had gotten 3 large scars from long claws diagonally down his left eye. _I'm not afraid of you,_ he growled within his head.

With a flash, the two were face to face, their swords clashed together in the shape of a cross; Leo's sword at the top, Savannah's down the middle. Savannah wore a dark frown; Leo had a bright smile that showed his fangs and his irises were small enough that you'd think he'd lost his mind completely. They threw each other back, and they began to fight for real.


	5. Chapter 5: Farewell Savannah

Leo spun on the ground in a large ball of what looked like only fur. His tail lashed outside of it like a large spike. He shot forward, trying his hardest to hurt Savannah, but she was quicker than he expected. And she was smarter too. She stood against the wall of one of the buildings, willing Leo to come attack her. He did. She leapt out of the way before she could get severely hurt, but she got a large cut on her ankle instead from it, and Leo smashed against the wall.

He shook as he lifted his head, the stones fell out of his mane onto the ground. He flung his head around and looked at her. "Don't be a coward! If you never wanted to fight then you could've kept your mouth shut!"

Savannah growled. "It's too late to say that now, brother," She said darkly. Her right eye sparked for a moment and a red pulse of energy wove out the side of it. Leo spun to face her and crawled a little backwards. She grabbed the handle of her sword with both hands and rose it in front of and above her shoulder. The energy glinted off the blade before she sped over to him and threw him from the wall with the blade. He slammed back onto the ground and rolled over, holding his stomach tightly in his paws.

Savannah walked over to him and lifted him by the front of his shirt. She stared into his cold blue eyes. "I never really wanted to fight. I already told you that. But I guess this is over now."

Leo's eyes sparked with an idea, so he shut them and smiled normally without showing his fangs. "You really were special, weren't you?" Savannah's eyes widened in fear as Leo said that. His eyes snapped back open and he lunged forward, which ripped his tank top off from Savannah's grip, and he sunk his claws into her shoulders to pin her down. In just a quick second, he had bit the side of her throat, and it was all over.

Leo pulled away from her, licking the dark red liquids off his muzzle. Savannah's eyes were completely lifeless, and tears were drying down her cheeks. Leo lifted his head to the sky and gave a mighty roar, to let the priders know Savannah had been killed. He leapt atop the cliff that had led them into the city, and they all gathered below him.

"My dearest clan," He spoke loud enough they could hear. "Savannah has been killed. This city is in ruins. It is coming to its darkest hour as it has no leader. The city of Lies remains no longer. It is time we evacuate this abandoned world. Come! We must return... 'home.'" He turned away and began walking off. The Priders walked around the cliff and climbed up the sides to follow him. They we returning to the place this all started. They were returning to a place of more chaos and anarchy.

But they were returning... 'home.'

Leo never thought he would call any place home. He had gone through this exact same ritual many times before. Only one thing remained the same during the times this had happened; he was an adoptive child. He never told anyone that he had been adopted, all they knew was he had a large forgotten family. Alisha had rescued him from a fire when he was only around 7. She had brought him to her home, where Savannah was learning to be a doctor like her, and her father had been killed in a tornado many years ago. Savannah was around Leo's age at the time, but she was just a year or two younger.

Leo already felt like he missed her, just like he had mourned from killing Seilo in cold blood. Seilo was Leo's real sister. He had loved her because she actually shared his blood. She shared his thoughts. They both could speak telepathically, that was the main reason they got along so well. It was because they knew what the other was thinking. But now, she was gone too. Leo had killed her like he did Savannah. And what else does he have to look forward to in life? Nothing. Absolutely... nothing.


	6. Chapter 6: We're All Crazy

The Priders returned to their home. At least, that's what they called it. Sever helped make dens for the other cats to sleep in, but Leo refused to let the black cat make a den for him. He clawed out his own den in the large stone in camp. He made materials out of stones as well. Spoons, forks, plates, bowls, almost everything they needed. He carved out a large stone bowl in the ground where water could be stored. He sent seven cats off to the river with buckets he carved so they could get water for the... 'clan.'

They returned in an hour. They poured the buckets of water into the bowl and it was soon completely full of water. Leo forbade anyone from being in the pool, so they had to use their own bowls to collect water. He made a rule that Sever would take 6 other cats with him to the river every week to collect water for the bowl. If water was left over, they would take it back to the river. If there wasn't enough, they would collect 7 more buckets of water out of the 14 they took with them every week. Leo sat alone in his den, as he should be. Lichen covered the entrance. It was dark despite the small window he had made in the den. It was only the size of his paw, and even then it was large.

Sever pushed a bit of the lichen out of the way, and he peered into the den down at Leo. Leo hadn't left it in a few days. He barely touched the food left for him. Sever snuck in and threw out the unwanted food. He then stepped back in. He dared to speak as he stood in the den, lichen over his head. "...Leo?"

Leo froze, but he did not turn to look at Sever. "What is it, Sever?"

Sever dared a step forward. "Are you alright?" Silence fell between the two of them. Leo turned his head and opened his eye to look at Sever. His irises were very small with loss of sanity. Sever flattened his ears out of fear. Leo's eyes saddened and he shut them, but he turned to face Sever. His head was lowered and his face was dark. He held his head with his paws and smiled oddly. "I...I'm crazy... a...aren't I?"

Sever lowered his head, trying to think hard on what Leo had just asked. _How is he thinking this...?_ Sever shook his head slowly. "I don't think you're crazy."

"Why?" Leo had turned away from Sever.

"You're our leader." Sever was losing his thoughts.

"Even great leaders can lose their minds. Have you not heard of the Legend of Zeroak?"

"...No." He wished he didn't speak at all.

"Then I'll explain." Leo turned back around, his face still dark.

 _"Zeroak was a leopard. Different from many others, they confused his species with other animals on other planets. He had barely any friends because of his odd species. He was mixed between a Lion and a Snow Leopard. He was often confused for a wolf because of his long snout and short tail. He was tempted to try and live with the wolves if he was so confused, but even they rejected him. They knew he was a cat; they understood him. Some wolves respected him because of this._

 _"But that didn't save Zeroak. He was continuing to lose his sanity. More and more he fell into endless cycles of pain. He bit his paws, he scratched his fur, he hurt himself a lot more than he was supposed to. But he survived. That didn't end the pain, however. For years, Zeroak had wished he could end everything. He didn't feel like he belonged. So he made a sacrifice. He leapt off one of the highest cliffs on this planet. He was happy this was happening; he didn't want to return._

 _"But he did. Another cat saved him from death and brought him home. To him, it didn't feel like home. It felt like he was six feet underground wherever he stood. He was curious, though. Why did this cat save me? He thought to himself. He didn't know this cat, nor did he know where they came from. He wanted to try and jump again, but this cat inspired him to stay. The two became very close, and Zeroak was regaining his sanity, slowly but surely, and the cat even let him rule their home._

 _"Then darkness struck over the land. Terror rose over the city and the streets were being ripped apart. Zeroak didn't know what to do; he was losing his only home. So he made a sacrifice. He sacrificed the rest of his sanity and his life to save his home. And he succeeded. He barely had any sanity left at all when the war was over. Many people still think of him as crazy, others think of him as a hero. We all have different opinions."_

"But aren't we all a little crazy?" Sever finally understood why Leo asked if he was crazy; because he felt like he was similar to Zeroak. Strange, misunderstood, but brave. _That's all he ever wanted to be,_ Sever thought. _I guess I could be crazy too._

"Yes," he said finally. "Anyone can be... 'crazy,' if it's thought of like that.

Leo smiled. "You are wise young kitten." That smile faded instantly. "Now go." Sever nodded his head, and padded out of the den.


	7. Chapter 7: Leo Goes Away

Leo walked out of his den, after being trapped inside for days. He looked around as cats were talking to one another and doing their daily routines, which he never got to know. Sever noticed him instantly out of the corner of his eyes.

"King Leo," he began, walking over to the large cat. "You have come out of the den."

Leo nodded slowly. "It has been some time since I've been outside."

Sever shut his eyes and dipped his head. "Might I ask what has driven you to come back?"

"I want to understand my people," Leo said. "I want to know the names of everyone, maybe what drove them to create such a clan as this. I want to understand them like they do me. I might as well start with you, though I know some of you already."

Sever perked his ears and looked up at Leo. "Well, there isn't much for me to talk about. I'm just a normal cat with bad luck is all I can say."

Leo knelt down before the small cat. "That's not all you are. You're not just bad luck, you can be something wonderful if you set your mind to it. There's something different hiding under that glossy black fur, just waiting to be seen. I want to know what it is."

Sever thought hard a moment. "I'll explain everything to you. But we have to be alone."

Leo nodded. "You can hide in my mane if you wish."

Sever leapt up onto Leo's back with his permission and crawled into the mane. "Does it hurt you when people do this?"

"Not at all." Leo said. He leapt up onto the Tallstone and let out the roar that signaled a meeting. "I have an important announcement! I am going to be away from the dens momentarily. Do not worry. I shall be back soon."

"Where are you going?" Asked a small russian blue cat.

"Nowhere important," Leo replied, waving his hand to the kitten. "I have personal manners to attend to on my own. It is none of your business, but it should not take very long for me to finish."

"Who will be in charge of the dens until you come back?" Asked a fiery orange leopard. He had black circles on his fur and a white muzzle that connected to his chest and belly. His paws were white as well, and his hair looked as though it actually was on fire. He had dark red eyes to add to the feeling; a dark feeling, like a roaring fire was coming for you,

"You seem like a fine cat yourself," Leo said. The leopard pointed to himself with wide eyes. "Yes, you. You can watch these people while I am gone." The leopard nodded.

"You all will follow this cat's commands until I return, understood?"

"Understood!" The clan said in unison back. They dipped their heads in sync.

"Good. Now off to your original duties." He walked down the back of the rock as the cats returned to their normal duties. He walked out into the fields and disappeared in the tall grass.


	8. Chapter 8: Sever's Secrets

Sever climbed out of Leo's mane once they reached the abandoned building outside the Priders' territory. "Are you ready to explain your story yet?"

Sever sighed and leapt up onto a stone before them so he could look into Leo's eyes. "Are you ready to listen?"

"I've never been more prepared for anything." Leo sat down on a stone, but he only had to look up a little to see Sever. Sever took a deep breath, and began.

"I had a fairly normal life when I was young. I had no family, no friends, but I never needed them. I loved creating chaos for people, it was just part of my nature. I walked like a normal cat on four legs, I didn't have these clothes until I joined the Priders. There were very few people like me, the ones that loved chaotic things. They didn't understand me, the other ones. I was a loner, I wanted to be alone, but then I met them. They were going to rebel against the cities they were once part of. I was from a city called Zeno. I heard rumors of a cat who sacrificed his life for that city and his own, and now I know Zeroak was that cat. Many believe him a wolf, others believed him as the leopard. I couldn't decide either.

"People acted like heathens because of that legend. They didn't believe he was real. Those people were killed. I heard the stories that you would die if you didn't believe the legend of your planet's savior. That's why most of my friends died. I believed the legend, and they didn't. All my friends were heathens. Because of this, I was losing my mind. If they made any sudden moves, I would lash out at them. I told them not to, but they did it anyways. The reason I was so sensitive was because I was abused before I became a stray. My family was what caused me to do that, and to rebel against my city. I never wanted to, really, but they forced me to turn my back on all I had ever known.

"Along the way, I met new cats who believed the legend. The fiery leopard you left to guard the dens is named... Infernotic. He's a strong cat, brave as well. He can control fire just by a flick of his wrist. You can get to know him better when we go back, but I understand you would rather know about me. Anyways, I had to keep many secrets when I was living in that city. I never told anyone I was working with the Priders. What I was doing was stealing supplies from the training camps and bringing it back to the dens. I got caught once, but I escaped. Soon I was a wanted cat. It was... horrible. I didn't know what to believe anymore... It was hard to believe that they wanted me dead. Honestly...

"All this time, I had still thought I was good. But it felt better for me to destroy that city rather than anything else. It's better than a broken heart... right...? Before destroying the city and meeting you, I had never felt any more miserable. It was painful to be around these cats, it hurt me, it destroyed my sanity, I have none left. I don't know what to do with myself. But I know none of you would ever abandon me. Right, Leo?"

Leo nodded. "Of course, Sever. I would never abandon such good people."

Sever smiled. "I know you won't. Thank you."


	9. Chapter 9: Burning Crystals

Sever bounded up ahead of Leo, leaving him behind on the dark trail. The sun was already setting, and Leo hadn't been outside that long talking to Sever. He decided to go ahead and talk to Infernotic as Sever had mentioned. A den made of fire crystals stood out in the clearing. It was larger than all the other dens. It had thousands of earrings and pottery hanging inside, along with bottles and potions. Infernotic was inside, messing with some items in one of the crates at the back. Sever leapt over beside Leo.

"You gonna go talk to him?" The black cat asked.

Leo nodded. "You think he's ready?"

"He does this every day, it won't bother him." Sever paused. "That much." Sever bounded off before Leo could ask for an explanation. Leo sighed and walked into the den. He walked around and over things lying around on the floor and on the ceiling. Infernotic noticed Leo's presence and stood up straight. He walked over to his counter and put his arms up on it. Leo walked over.

"Hey, King," the fiery leopard said. "Ya need anything?"

"Yes, actually, I just finished talking with Sever, and he told me to come see you."

"You mean that scrawny bad-luck cat? Yea, I know him. What'd he ask for?"

Leo sighed. "Well, I've been wanting to get to know the other cats of the Priders, and Sever was the first cat I got to meet beside you and that russian blue cat."

"Russian blue, eh?" Infernotic tilted his head in a cocky-like manner. "I know her. That's Mio, she's a sky cat, lives up in the clouds, ya know?"

"Right, well," Leo put his paws on the counter. "You're the cat I want to know more about right now, not her."

"Well, I'm not as interesting as you think," Infernotic purred. The deepness of his voice held out a sinister feeling with it. "I don't have much to talk about. I'm just a crazy leopard who collects fire crystals and wages wars."

Leo's eyes widened. "Fire crystals?"

Infernotic stood up straight. "Well, yeah. Come back here, and we can talk." Infernotic pushed a trapdoor down by the counter that was like an entrance, and he let Leo through. The leopard then pulled it back up and locked it.

"You see, being a fire cat such as myself, I collect fire crystals as a power source." Infernotic lifted a pair of hoop-earrings made out of fire crystals. "I'm a fire cat, Server must've told you that. I collect fire crystals and make earrings out of them, and any type of jewelry for that matter."

"Have you ever made weapons out of them?" Leo tilted his head.

"Actually, yes," Infernotic smiled. He lifted a sword made out of sharp fire crystals out of a pit of boiling water. It had sharp small spikes on all the edges and a long spike on the end. "Why?"

Leo held his hand out. "Give it to me."

Infernotic tilted his head and his shoulders tensed. "Why?"

"Because," Leo clamped his paw into a tight fist. "I want to fight."


	10. Chapter 10: Breaking Trust

Infernotic trembled. "Why?!" He held the sword down a little as water dripped off it. He held the blade in his paw pad even though the surface burned it.

"We haven't finished our revenge," Leo slammed his back-paw down on the ground. "Do you not want vengeance on the city that caused you pain?"

"Of course I want revenge, but stones like these are hard to discover," Infernotic glared down at the sword. "The mines are dangerous places."

Leo hesitated a moment. "The people have to escape the mines, right? From the wars?"

Infernotic nodded. "It's hard work, but it can also cause fatal pain. I'm not going to let this sword go to waste, but I don't want to use it yet either. We aren't ready to fight."  
"But we have to fight!" Leo protested.

"Wedon't _have_ to fight!" Infernotic growled. Leo was taken aback at this sudden outburst. Infernotic found himself on the brink of tears, and they rolled down his cheeks only to drop onto the stone floor. "You don't understand, Leo. I have a reason why I've refused to make and use weapons; this is the only sword that I have _because_ of these wars! So many people that were in this clan at one time left because of the things I can do by myself. They broke my trust, but they don't deserve it anyways. That's why I decided to stop making weaponry and make jewelry instead. I kept this sword so I could melt it with boiling water and fire and never have to worry about it again, but it doesn't because it's made of fire. I wanted to leave everything behind, but nothing is right anymore. It won't ever be, not after the things I've experienced."

Leo froze, his thoughts were swirling in his head, he couldn't take much more of the pain that he was leaving. "Give it to me, trust me."

Infernotic sighed and handed Leo the sword. Leo grabbed the handle and edge of the blade in his paws and held it above his head. "If you don't want to deal with the pain anymore, then it's clear this isn't working. I'm not letting this continue, I want to build the ranks of my people without violence; no longer will we have to hide!" With that, he slammed the sword down on the ground, and it shattered into a million pieces. Leo flicked his mane out of his face and watched Infernotic for a moment. The leopard's face was darkened out, but he smiled as a small tear ran down his cheek.

"Glad you could see it my way," The fiery cat said. "Go talk to Mio, she's far more interesting than I. You'll have a lot of fun with her, if you have a dark sense of humor." Infernotic pushed past Leo and walked out of the den, leaving the trapdoor down so Leo could get out. The lion took the leopard's advice, and disappeared out of the fiery cave.


	11. Chapter 11: Twins?

Leo went off to find Mio, the russian-blue cat Sever and Infernotic were both talking about. Leo tried to remember if he saw her once before, but he couldn't think of a time when he did. He stopped and rubbed his head for a moment, and that's when he remembered. He had seen Mio before he left to talk to Sever by the abandoned building. She was the one that asked where he was going before Infernotic took place of guarding the dens. Sever slipped back over to Leo.

"He told you to talk to Mio, didn't he?" Sever tilted his small head.

"Yes, why?" Leo looked down at the kitten.

"If you wanna talk to her," the cat put his hands behind his back as he talked. "You'll have to talk to her sister, too. Mio never goes anywhere without Izmo. They're the main two cats that collect and purify our water. They're great at battle too, they have poison claws!" Sever ran off as he said that. Infernotic was laying back on a rock when he called over to Leo.

"If you wanna tell Mio apart from Izmo, Izmo is blind and her eyes are completely white, Mio's eyes are dark blue," The fiery leopard smiled, leaving Leo confused. _Are they twins?_ He thought. _I can only guess so._ He kept walking around trying to find the russian blue. A white tiger stepped up beside Leo, staring up at him with dark red eyes. He had faded stripes of black along his fur.

"Want help finding the twins?" He said.

"Why should I trust your helping me? I'm not that blind," Leo looked around with his arm crossed over his chest.

"I know, but they are hard to find. They can easily camouflage. "

"...What do you mean by that?"

"They're russian blues, they blend in with rocks, they only wear gray and black things. Izmo wears a white tank top, while Mio wears silver."

Leo shut his eyes and chuckled. "Almost reminds me of my real mother."

"Oh?" The cat stepped in front of him. "Who was she?"

"Aonia Ande," Leo said, opening his eyes. "I never really got to meet her, she only lived for 2 years after I was born. She died during war, along with my father Dene."

"I feel bad for you, I never had a father, I only had my mother Diana," The kitten hung his head.

Leo sighed. "Perhaps I should hold off my meeting with Izmo and Mio. I'd like to talk to you."

The white cat shook his head, placing his pads to his sides, with his claws unsheathed. He shook his head and shut his eyes, chuckling and tapping the ground with one paw. "You sure? I have a pretty dark past, you wouldn't want to hear it."

"Believe me, I would," Leo said. "I can understand you."

Leo saw the hesitation in the cat's eyes once they were opened again. The tiger sighed. He put a fist behind his back and put his hand over his heart. He bowed. "Alright. First thing I must say. My name is Past, I am the oldest living tiger on this planet, and the universe. It has been proven many times, even far beyond Keikos and Zonos."

Past stood back up straight and held out his paw. "Come, I shall show you to my den." Leo hesitated a moment before taking the tiger's medium-sized paw, and walking off with him.


	12. Chapter 12: No One Lives Forever

"It has been a long time since I last spoke about myself," Past said as they began walking to the far side of the large, hilly camp. "I don't like how I spent my time. You of course would not yet understand, but you will eventually. You know some of the pieces, like those scars you have on your eye. That shows your ferocity and willing. You even refused to let Sever heal you, so you gave yourself that burden. But, you are a lion, of course, you might like that sort of thing."

"It's not exactly like that, you see," Leo said. "I don't normally get scars because of my size and my demeanor is better than my opponents most of the time."

"Well, who were you fighting last?"

Leo paused for a moment, and stopped in his tracks. Past noticed this and turned around to the side so he could look back at his new leader. Leo sighed and spoke up; he was mumbling a little. "Savannah. She was my adoptive sister. I was adopted into her family, and I ended up leaving our house. Then I killed her."

Past blinked in an understanding. He walked over to Leo and held the lion's paw with both of his. "It may seem hard now, but you avenged something by doing that. Nobody lives forever, it was bound to happen, even if you didn't choose to do it."

Leo thought hard for a split second. "Could that happen to me as well?"

"If you have kin, there is a possibility," Past shut his eyes and nodded as he talked. He opened his eyes again once we finished. "Come, my den is near, I can explain more about myself whilst we walk." Leo nodded in understanding and continued to follow the tiger.


	13. Chapter 13: Right From Wrong

"We're here," Past said once they reached the blue crystalline den. Past opened the stone door. "After you, King Leonardo." Leo almost growled at this, and the tiger smirked as he saw the touch in his eyes. Leo stepped inside anyways, and Past shut the door. Most of the furniture inside was made of silver quartz and blue diamonds. There were some added features like the carved bowls and utensils on the tables and counters. Past let Leo sit down with him on the couch, which was made of soft quartz and stone.

"So, you really want to know about this clan?" Past tilted his head with a smirk. "And the people?"

Leo nodded in agreement, though he kept his mouth shut.

Past chuckled. "Well, that's good. Wanting to understand the people a little more and understand their lives with your own. I assume you're going to talk to Mio and Izmo after this?"

"I was going to after I finished talking with Sever and Infernotic, but then you brought me here," Leo showed no irritation in his voice, though it echoed in his words.

Past shut his eyes and nodded. "Of course. There's really nothing interesting about me, though."

"You have to have some interest, everyone says they have nothing interesting to talk about that concerns themselves, but Infernotic seemed like a struggling soul and Sever seems the most damaged from those I've talked to. You joined this 'pack' for a reason, and I want to know what it is."

Past's ears perked and his eyes widened a little. They soon flattened and he frowned. "You're mighty persuasive - I may as well talk. Well, I'll start off with my young life."

...

"I never really liked people as a child. Everyone was trying to tell me right from wrong, but I never listened to what was wrong, I just did whatever I pleased. I was a feisty little kitten, I kept trying to throw rocks and small creatures at my siblings. Or I would wrestle with them. But then a disaster happened; a fire broke out in City Hall from where I came from, and that's where my family lived. We never had enough money to buy our own home and apartment, so we lived wherever nobody could find us. We lived in the basement there, but that's where the fire started. Apparently some flammable chemicals broke loose and somebody had knocked over a gasoline barrel on the floor, but it wasn't us. We were sleeping by the time I felt that prickling feeling along my spine.

"When I woke up, red was the only thing I could see because my eyes weren't adjusted to the light. But when I realized what it was, I actually grabbed both my siblings and threw them up the open hatch on the ceiling to get them out of there. They woke up with protest up there, but they realized why I had done that when they saw the fire. I woke our mother after that, and she was struggling to get up because she was just a few weeks away from giving birth by the time. My sister and I helped her to get up and get out of there, and when we got her out, one of the tanks down there exploded as well, and all we could see was fire. All of our stuff had been destroyed. Everything I held close to my heart; and it was all gone. My family and I had to move out, most of our home had been destroyed.

"The people there apologized, but they refused to give us anything to replace our stuff. They refused to help us find another home as well. They kicked us out of the town, and we had to find another den out in the woods with the other outcasts. My siblings and I refused to live like that, so we waged war on our city. Me and my siblings were the only fighters, because my mother had to stay behind with the other outcasts to give life to Mio and Izmo ... my sisters. I know it's surprising, for them to be related to me, but I never told them that we destroyed the place they could've called home. I never wanted to break their hearts... But I also wish I never broke mine.

"Ever since that happened, I've waged war on many people I know and love. Mio and Izmo have prevented me from hurting people, but I still choose to try, thinking that maybe, eventually, they'll lose their grip on me, and I can give someone the revenge they _deserve_ to feel. But it never happens. They're both small and a lot younger than me, but I'm weaker than them because I'm so many years older, and they're so young. They've learned to fight better than I have over the years. I'm at least 10 years older than what they are, but I rarely fight, so my bones and muscles have become weak and fragile. I've easily broken my bones too many times to count when Mio and Izmo have stopped me from doing something."

Past slowly descended back into reality. His eyes became unclouded from being so lost in thought and tears. "In some honesty, you almost remind me of the two of them. I've known you only for a small while, I can already tell your personality would match well with Izmo's, and your soft side rarely shows. Mio's quiet, patient personality reflects in you." Past sighed and shut his eyes. "But I know you could never like them, and try to be like them. I don't know if you ever will, but I can't predict the future. Meeting them seems right, but it can be wrong as well."

Leo stood up. "I think our time to talk is over. Tell me, where could I find your sisters?"

Past got up slowly, almost stumbling on his paws. "They're probably by the water storage and the food bowls. If they aren't there, check at the stone dens behind Infernotic's shop and den. He might be talking to them in there, you never know. I'm going to go explore, if you don't mind."

Leo and Past nodded to each other before walking out of the den. Past shut the door behind them, and then he walked off into the plains. Leo walked in the other direction, without a word.


	14. Chapter 14: Friend Cascade

Leo walked around camp for a moment before he finally took a small stone glass from the material pile and filled it up with clear water. He stood by the pool for a moment, holding the glass in both hands. His tail was lowered and his ears had fell into his mane. He felt like he was in his cape and crown again, standing on the ledge in the castle to talk to the people. Now most of those people were gone, and he left just to return and kill his adoptive sister.

"Hi Leo!" A voice said behind him. He jumped a tad, but soon turned to look at the two small silver tigers that stood together behind him. "Our brother told us you would come talk to us soon, but we decided to come find you instead."

Leo's ears perked. "Wait, you're Mio and Izmo, correct?"

"Yep!" The taller tiger said. "I'm Mio, and this is my twin sister Izmo."

The blind cat shut her eyes and smiled up at the large lion.

"Ah, so Past said I would come speak to you," Leo said, crouching down so he was face to face with the small tigers. "He didn't tell you that I visited Infernotic and Sever, did he?"

The two tigers shook their heads.

Leo chuckled. "Well, I did. I'm not sure who else to talk to after the two of you."

"You could go talk to Cascade," Izmo said. "She's a really interesting cat. She's a lynx, and she has dark golden brown fur with black stripes and the entire front of her body is white, including her legs and paws. The front and bottom half are the only things that are white on her; her eyes have no pupil and iris, they're completely crystal-like and blue."

"Has she ever explained the reasoning why?" Leo tilted his head.

Mio shook her head. "Nope, she just said it's 'special' that she has eyes like that."

"It's kinda odd she isn't blind too, I mean, my eyes are completely white and I'm blind, but Cascade's have color. It doesn't make any sense," Izmo scratched the top of her head.

Leo stood back up and looked around for a moment. "I'll tell you this, when I get finished talking with the both of you, you can take me to meet Cascade and fill in the blanks if she leaves anything out. I may not understand everything, but I will in time."

Mio and Izmo bounced happily. "Yay!"

Leo put a hand on each of their heads and they instantly froze. "Enough of that." He took his hands off their heads.

"Sorry," They both said in unison.

"We'll take you to Cascade first, that way you can get over talking to her, and you'll be learning about us at the same time!" Izmo said happily.

"We share a little bit of a past with Cascade, so you can learn about both of us if we take you there now. Is that okay?" Mio asked as she tilted her head.

Leo nodded. "Of course. Lead the way, you two."

The two bounced happily and walked in a line of two. "Away we go, to show our leader Leo, our friend Cascade, and her masquerade!" They both sang in unison, as Leo followed slowly behind them. Leo ears fell when he heard 'masquerade' in that song. If what they said was true, Cascade had tried to be something she was not, and she lied about many things. _I don't think this is a good idea anymore,_ Leo thought. _Can I trust her?_ He shrugged off the idea after a while. _If I can trust Mio and Izmo, then Cascade shouldn't be that big of a problem. ... I hope._


	15. Chapter 15: Leo's Little Crush

Mio and Izmo bounded off in front of Leo, their tails swishing and their paws interlocked. They skipped in sync and their heads bounced in perfect rhythm with the other. Leo questioned this, considering Izmo was blind. How were they so connected, yet so far apart at the same time? Leo shut his eyes and shook his head, but he soon opened them again to watch Mio and Izmo. Their arms swung in sync as well. Everything they did appeared to be the same as what happened on the other's. Their fur had the same gleam from the sun, and they both had bright, perfect smiles on their faces. Their ears fell when the other's did and their tails never touched when they swayed. Their paws were placed down at the exact time as the other's. They shared everything together. _I hope they give a good explanation why..._ Leo muttered to himself. Neither of them seemed to hear this. Leo listened closely to the world around him. Birds were singing, petals were falling on the dried grass.

Leo suddenly lost himself in thought. On days like this, he would be walking around the meadows in the City of Leo with Savannah or Seilo. When the wars broke out, Leo was forced to turn on his own family. Their spirits seemed to haunt him now. Alisha's quiet whispers, Savannah's pleading, but Seilo and his real parents were silent souls. He couldn't hear them saying anything. He would understand not hearing from his parents, because he never met them or saw them, but Seilo actually talked to him. It was odd not to hear her voice.

Leo snapped out of his thoughts, blocking out the voices and instead focusing on Mio and Izmo. They were still happily skipping together. He smiled at the two, but he didn't remember any of his past by this happening. He was actually happy for the first time since he killed Seilo so many years ago.

Mio and Izmo stopped, and turned to look back at Leo. They both pointed behind them with their free hands. "Her house is back here. It's not that much farther, now." Leo nodded and the two continued to skip away.

"Cascade is really nice, I've never met anybody like her! I think you'd like her too, she seems like your kind of cat," Mio giggled.

"What do you mean by that?" Leo couldn't help but blush at the thought.

"She's tough," Izmo said.

"She's very persuasive," Mio added.

"She's cute," the two said in unison.

Leo growled and flattened his ears. "Alright, I get it," he growled quietly. Mio and Izmo laughed as they stopped on the stone stairs up to Cascade's house.

"Welp, we're here!" Mio and Izmo let go of each other.

Izmo turned and seemed to look up at Leo. "You ready to meet her?"

"Yes," Leo said nothing else but that one word. Mio and Izmo smiled and nodded. They spun back around and knocked on the door with the hard edges of their tails. A clicking sound was heard inside and the door was becoming unlocked. Once the door was open, a beautiful dark golden brown lynx stepped out. The front half of her body was completely white and she had beautiful purely blue eyes. She had on a see-through light blue skirt with a mint-colored swim-suit style tank top and a dark brown flowery bracelet with a white band. She had silver anklets on that had brown spikes around them. That same style was also in the necklace that she wore. On her chest, a white pearl shined.

"Ah, so you've finally come," The lynx said, looking down at Mio and Izmo with a small smile. "I've been waiting for you."


	16. Chapter 16: Our Families

Leo was nearly speechless, dark red blush fell over his cheeks and he looked up to the sky to try and disguise his embarrassment.

Mio and Izmo nodded, and Mio talked softly. "Yep, and we brought Leo as well. He's been dying to meet the three of us. He's already talked to Brother, Infernotic and Sever. Brother said he's been waiting for ages to meet just me and my sister, but then we told him about you! You should've seen how excited he was; it only showed in his eyes, though. Are you excited to talk to him, Cascade?"

The pearl on Cascade's chest glew and reflected on her face. "Why, of course! I've been meaning to talk to him for a while, but I never got the opportunity because he's been visiting the boys. Everything can easily be balanced out after he talks to us, and he can keep the balance if he talks to Jay and Se."

"Are they siblings as well?" Leo asked. The blush on his face had died down and he put his head down to look at Cascade.

"Surprisingly, no, but they are related in a way," Cascade twirled a small strand of hair from her face with one of her sharp claws. Her hair was light blue like the skirt, with a thick mint stripe going from the middle top of her head down to the bottom. She had some small white spots in her hair that seemed to float around in it. There was no wind, but her hair waved a little.

Leo tilted his head. "And that way is...?"

Cascade blinked as if she had just come out of a lost thought. "Oh! Right." She cleared her throat. "Jay and Se aren't siblings, though their names have a slight similarity, but they are actually married. They're one of the first married couples I've seen, my parents never married because we didn't have the money for it in my old town. But we'll delve deeper into that when we really start talking. Come in! I've made treats for Mio and Izmo since they were going to come over alone, but you can have some too if you wish."

Mio and Izmo bounced happily and ran inside. Leo stepped inside a little slowly and let Cascade shut the door. The two stood together momentarily, watching Mio and Izmo.

"You haven't gotten to talk to them alone, have you?" Cascade asked, turning and looking at him. Leo looked down at her, she was only a few inches shorter than he was.

"They said I could learn more about them if I talked to you at the same time," Leo said. "Mio said she and Izmo have a past with you."

Cascade dipped her head. "Yes. Truth be told, I worked at an orphanage around the time they were born. Past's mother had died after giving birth to them, so he brought them to the orphanage so they could be cared for, and he even helped me take care of them. They never left each other's side, and if we tried to separate them, they would cry louder than anything, that's the reason behind their strong connection. Past also figured out they could talk telepathically, and he could as well. But he could only seem to do it with his siblings, never anyone else. He always tried if he knew people who could talk telepathically, but it never worked." Cascade's voice softened a little after saying those last words.

Leo flattened his ears. "I wish I knew the feeling. My real sister Seilo could talk to me telepathically. Savannah was my adopted sister, and Alisha was my foster mother. I never met my real parents, and Seilo was only a few years older than me."

"I hope I'm not being too personal, but, how old are you and your sister? Well, how old _was_ your sister?" Cascade tilted her head.

Leo sighed. "23. Seilo was 25."

"It must've been really hard for her to tell you that you didn't have parents anymore." Cascade hung her head, and her hair seemed to dull.

"It wasn't very hard, I was only a year old and I understood every word that she was saying. It isn't very hard for a lion and lioness to learn words at a young age. Seilo learned to speak fluently when she was only a few months old, at least, that's what she told me."

Cascade nodded. "I know you had to believe her; you were real kin after all. Whatever happened to her?"

Leo's heart snapped, and he struggled to find words to speak. "I...I don't want to talk about it."

Cascade put one hand on the pearl at her chest. "My apologies. I did not mean to offend you. I should've known that was too personal. Please, you can come and sit down. I can fetch you a drink, since you've brought a glass with you."

Leo had almost completely forgotten about the stone glass of water he had brought. There was no water left, nor particles of it, and it was held tightly in his tail. "That will be fine," he said, handing the lynx the glass with his tail.

Cascade took the glass and nodded. "I will be back in a moment." She walked off to the kitchen, and let Leo sit down on one of the couches. It was surprisingly soft, unlike the other crystal and stone furniture of the other dens. He held his head with one hand and lay the other on his lap. _I hope this doesn't take too long..._ He thought, as if he were already in pain of talking about his past life.

Mio and Izmo ran happily around the room, one chasing the other when their tail was touched. Leo watched in amusement, his eyes glowing in the now dark room. A dark blue light shone from the kitchen, and large glowing crystals lit up at the corners of the room. They glew light blue, but the entire structure was dark. _On second thought, it might be interesting,_ He thought with bright, loving smile.


	17. Chapter 17: More About You

Leo's tail lashed behind him as he waited for Mio, Izmo and Cascade. Mio and Izmo stopped playing for a moment because they were out of breath. Cascade walked back into the room with a small tray. She set it down on the glass table and sat down beside Leo. The tray was stone with Leo's stone glass full of water and a large plate of white-chocolate cookies. Cascade's paw had been glowing blue with fire, but she put her hands into fists and slammed them down on her knees in order for them to stop. She seemed to calm down a bit afterwards.

"I really hate to be intruding on your personal life," Cascade began. "But I want to know a little about you. Maybe we could understand each other more if we knew of the other's past. I don't know much about you and your family, but I can easily relate to you if I understand what you've been through."

Leo hesitated a moment. He hated his past more than anything. "I-I don't know, it's-"

Cascade put one paw on Leo's. "I understand if you don't want to explain. I feel the same."

Leo sighed. "No, I want to explain, it's just hard because I... don't like how my past has been."

Cascade turned so she could face him. Mio and Izmo had sat down on the floor by the table. Their ears were perked and ready to listen while they were eating their cookies. Leo stared at them momentarily, a small spark of happiness burning inside him.

"Well," Leo began. "I guess I could go ahead and talk… I have a few happy moments that you could possibly notice. There aren't many, but they're very helpful." Leo shut his eyes, took a deep breath, and began.

"I had a very hard life as a young cub. When I was a year old, I could understand everything a person was saying and I could speak as well, but that didn't benefit me. Seilo, my real sister, was a lot more upset than normal, just a few weeks after I turned a year, because she probably knew that I could talk and listen easily then. She spoke with me for a moment, and explained that mother and father had been killed. Mom died giving birth to me, and my father committed suicide, because he couldn't live without her. Seilo acted like a mother to me for the longest time, until we finally left our house to ruins, and lived out in the forests. Seilo hated the life there, and she wished to go home, but I never wanted to be reminded of the pain like she did. So I left her, just as I had Savannah, and I let her experience how I felt. But she found me again at the worst possible time. That was the time I had broken one of my legs while climbing. She tried to apologize and help but she made every second hurt even worse. So I forced her to stop. Permanently. By that, I mean… I had to kill her.

"I never wanted to tell anyone, but Seilo really was special, I just had to stop her from trying to help me. I wanted to learn to care for myself without needing to depend on other people. So I killed my sister, and left everything else behind. When Alisha found me, she raised me like her own child and introduced me to Savannah. I loved both of them, but life was even harder when Alisha died. She had ruled what was once called Leo. The city, whoever runs it, their name becomes the name of the city as well as their own. The city was named Alisha while she ruled. I named it Leo when I became the kind as her heir to the throne, and Savannah named the city after herself when I left everything behind, but now the city is in ruins, and no one knows the last name of it."

Leo turned away to look at the wall, he was trying not to let his sadness show in his eyes. He sighed, flattening his ears. "I'm sorry, I-... I can't continue. It's too graphic."

Cascade placed on paw on Leo's, which was slowly becoming a fist. "It's okay, you've said enough."


End file.
